Why war...?

Why despots, regimes, terrorists, dictators, fascists?

War is less costly than servitude, the choice is always between Verdun and Dachau.

Thanks to every soldier who fought and died for our freedoms.

Bring 'em home.

@ Kerlu: there were photos from Sri Lanka, Hong Kong, and the Philippines as well. I appreciate that people are beginning to recognize the atrocities that occurred in China during WWII.

@ #11

I think you might want to talk to some South Koreans before saying you feel like it didn't do much, or defecting North Koreans. Iraq and Afghanistan... we will have to see.

@22 (Kerlu) Photo #4 was taken in France.
...to honor Metis veterans of WWII, at Juno Beach Center, near Caen, Normandy...

I appreciate it's important to honor the Navajo tribe, but not making any reference to the 1.5 Million French and 1 Million Germans who died during that long protracted butchery exercise defies my understanding.
What a strange, almost insulting, view of history!

Why War?? Because there is evil in the world. I know Liberals think that there is no good or evil, but there is.

Thank you Alan for your continued great work. I haven't posted in a while. I'm sure people can understand that you might want and intend to include other perspectives or topics (i.e., nations) but perhaps you didn't have the right quality pictures or ones that quite fit in to the story you were trying to tell. As none of us pays extra for this wonderful photo essay three times a week, I myself am thankful for the opportunity to see the results of your effort.

Alle Kriege sind nur Raubzüge.

Voltaire - Zitate und Sprüche Voltaire

französischer Philosoph und Schriftsteller (1694 - 1778)

All wars are only predatory trains.
Voltaire - citations and sayings
Voltaire French philosopher and author (1694 - 1778)

#24...wow

(;-;)

Why War?

Our differences, not race, color or culture. Our understanding and believes are different depending on how we have grow up and may be because of the surroundings. And we're willing do die for what we believe and protect that believe. What I believe is freedom and I'll protect that freedom for myself and everyone I love. Thanks Veterans!

Peace!

Sobering

It saddens me that our staunch allies and dear friends from Australia and New Zealand are not remembered in this beautiful photo collection commerating Veterans Day aka Armistice Day. God bless them and their soldiers past and present who have stood beside us when the going was tough. I hope that next year we will see our friends and allies represented.

Thank you for compiling such a wealth of information via words and pictures. Being an Army Brat and knowing the sacrifice made by our veterans this certainly provides a strong affirmation for the need of Remberance. It also brings heartelt emotion and gratitude to the soldiers sitll working to make our world a safer place - I wish you were all home safe and sound - Hopefully soon - Till then you will remain within all of our prayers. This compilation provides additional evidence to show that now and forever each generation should/must honor the ultimate sacrifice - Lest We Forget - Thank you

Hace un par de meses en Tijuana Baja California Mexico conoci a un señor que nacio en Tijuana y es veterano de la guerra de Corea, por alguna razon me platico sus terribles vivencias en esa guerra, y aun despues de 50 años sus ojos lloraron cuando se acordaba de la guerra... debe ser horrible

It doesn't matter how old you are or how long it has been. It never gets any better, ever.

Let us never forget about the ones who gave there lives to protect our freedom

These picutures evoke a flood of emotion and makes me proud that my father served with the Marine 4th division in the pacific during WW ll and was lucky enough to live to tell me about all the fights and the fears.

One thing that he told me made me feel very safe and that was that he had served and fought hard, so that I would not have to and I was lucky enough to draw #175, I believe it was, on the birthday draw for the Vietnam war and wasn't ever called to fight.

His name was Ralph G. Justice he lived to be 78 years old and passed away in October 1999, he couldn't have been more proud, than that of being a Marine. He fought on Sipan, Teninan, and Iwo Jima (spellings may be off a bit, but you get the picture). He was wounded more than once, but taken out of duty on Iwo Jima and was on ship heading toward the Island Nation of Japan when the war ended and he always said, had he actually landed on the island of Japan, he felt that he would never make it from that fight, so thank you Mr. Truman for your brave and well thought out decison to drop the bomb, I know that it had to be one of the hardest decisions anyone could ever make, with so many lives at stake with just a single bomb.

What a great photo series these photos are, thank you for all your hard work.

Great pictures. Thanks.

What we are fighting for? why don't we peace? have we to kill each other? or you will satisfy until this word doom with nuclear? if so what you said to your children is a big lie. You said "I Love You" so what love you are gave to them?
a Hell or Heaven is your decision now.

Truly touching photographs.

There are no winners in war, only losers.

One day you'll all soon realize that.

Because some people really need killin', number two, that's why.

It is the SOLDIER, not the reporter, who has given us freedom of the press.
It is the SOLDIER, not the poet, who has given us freedom of speech.
It is the SOLDIER, not the campus organizers, who has given us the freedom to demonstrate.
It is the SOLDIER, who salutes the flag, who serves the flag, and whose coffin is draped by the flag,
Who allows the protester to burn the flag.

Well, why humans fight against each other? Why the so called brainy humans produce and store weapons to kill each other? Ok, its their will, they can do what ever they want, but then WHY THEY CRY AFTER DOING THE DREADED OFFENSE of killing? Why this dual standard? Humans better learn something from the past. Enough of wars to kill a physical object, have we ever asked whether in all the wars ever fought and claimed to have been won, could we kill the soul? The spirit which caused the war? The answer is no...SO WHY DO WE FIGHT???.....

@#42, the reason that you don't see much coverage of Armistice Day from Australia and New Zealand is that in those countries the main day of remembrance is ANZAC Day on the 25th of April.

War isn't a "neat" idea. Sometimes it's a necessary response to tyranny and injustice. Those who gave their lives in WW 2 didn't do so because it was "neat" - it was to stop the Nazi rape of Europe.

That said, war has a terrible cost. Photos 30 & 37 break my heart.

...In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row...
Too bad there are no pictures of "The Last Poste" @ the Menin Gate in Belgium.

Why war? I can't stop laughing when I see these two English words.

Why war? Do not blame some "evil" people who start wars. War starts with every human being. War starts when you want to save a nickle on a galon of gas. War starts when you believe that everyone else shold believe in the same God what you believe or they deserved to go to hell.

No war could ever start without the people's support. Next time, when you vote for some politician who promise you a "better life and a better world", do not pretend you do not know what it means.

"Why war"? Whoever says this is even worse than evil.

@ 14
It is not the war that makes us human.
It takes our humanity.
Only the hindsight of the leaved ones shows us the ugly truth, what war makes us: irrecoverable lonesmone

"Nothing is more barbarous than war. Nothing is more cruel . . . Nothing is more pitiful than a nation being swept along by fools."
Daisaku Ikeda

Wow great photos but somehow shocked and disappointed to see no pictures from ceremonies in France, especially from this year with Sarkozy and Merkel together to celebrate peace and friendship between France and Germany, longterm foes.

If war is the answer, then what was the question ?...

I love the look of number #16.

por favor..... PAZ!!!!!

Please ...... PEACE!!!

Roberto Pardo
Chile

I WISH OUR MODERN YOUTH WOULD SEE THE SACRIFICES THAT MEN AND WOMAN MADE TO KEEP THIS COUNTRY FREE---US NAVY VET---STASH

God Bless America!!

Most moving set of photos I have seen yet on this site

Wiz-Be: "No war could ever start without the people's support."

millions of people in hundreds of cities protested against the beginning of the Iraq war. I stopped believing then that the people have any say in where governments send their troops to die.

Keep on glorifying war. See Path of Glory film by Stanley Kubrick. It will open your mind behind this war glorification brainwashing stuff, where man lives are wasted for some nation saving ideology. Read history and take time to reflect .
Today enemy tomorrow your allies.

To 66:

" I stopped believing then that the people have any say in where governments send their troops to die."

So where's "Respect of majority decision" and "Democry is the worst form of government but it's the best of a bad bunch" goodies the western people are trying to teach everyone else in the world?

I say it's never about politics, it's just pure greed resides in everyone's soul. People are just trying to find excuses for it. This is useless before the almighty. We'll all be doomed.

The pictures speak for themselves, I can't come up with adequate words to describe the often pointless horrors of war and the bravery of those compelled to fight in them, often by rulers who know not what they do. God bless and forgive us all.

I don't see how anyone can see these pics as "glorifying" war. Rather, it is glorifying brave men and women who were willing to sacrifice for something they believed in, a rare virtue today indeed. The freedoms and the comforts that we all take for granted condemn us in our unworthiness of their sacrifice. As long as the human hear beats, sin and evil will continue to plague us. So, if these men sought to save us from human despots, who will save us from ourselves?

21st century wars is linked with profit.

Forget the idea of the "good war" : this kind of war no longer exist today...

Why???????????????

It is so SAD!!! :(
Why War?
Why Terrorism?
Why Hate?
Why the tendency of the Human race to kill one another?
Why Why Why...

"War is less costly than servitude, the choice is always between Verdun and Dachau." Posted by Blaine November 13, 09 02:46 PM

I'll be using that quote.

Bless those that fight for those that can't.

Semper Paratus,

#27 from honor.......

Thank you for understanding the reason for war, and for so eloquently describing it. For those who have never been at the 'tip of the spear' it is very difficult to understand. For those of you who have been at the 'tip of the spear,' I salute you, thank you and love you all. What many do not quite grasp is that there are people on this planet who would like to slice their throats just because they are American. Period! Don't believe me? Watch the video of terrorists chopping the head off of an unarmed, non-combatant who's only crime on this planet was being free...... Just like you and me.

R.I.P.

WHy War? better WE need peace
its like the immature kid instead of solving a dispute the correct way, instead decides to beat up the agressor...IMMATURITY thats why...

"War is an animalistic reaction to misunderstandings and irritations; *peace attends upon the civilized solution of all such problems and difficulties*
War has had a certain evolutionary and selective value, but like slavery, it must sometime be abandoned as civilization slowly advances. Olden wars promoted travel and cultural intercourse; these ends are now better served by modern methods of transport and communication. Olden wars strengthened nations, but modern struggles disrupt civilized culture. Ancient warfare resulted in the decimation of inferior peoples; the net result of modern conflict is the selective destruction of the best human stocks. Early wars promoted organization and efficiency, but these have now become the aims of modern industry. During past ages war was a social ferment which pushed civilization forward; this result is now better attained by ambition and invention. Ancient warfare supported the concept of a God of battles, but modern man has been told that God is love. War has served many valuable purposes in the past, it has been an indispensable scaffolding in the building of civilization, but it is rapidly becoming culturally bankrupt--incapable of producing dividends of social gain in any way commensurate with the terrible losses attendant upon its invocation.

At one time physicians believed in bloodletting as a cure for many diseases, but they have since discovered better remedies for most of these disorders. And so must the international bloodletting of war certainly give place to the discovery of better methods for curing the ills of nations.

Our nations have already entered upon the gigantic struggle between nationalistic militarism and industrialism, and in many ways this conflict is analogous to the agelong struggle between the herder-hunter and the farmer. But if industrialism is to triumph over militarism, it must avoid the dangers which beset it. The perils of budding industry on earth are:

1. The strong drift toward materialism, spiritual blindness.

2. The worship of wealth-power, value distortion.

3. The vices of luxury, cultural immaturity.

4. The increasing dangers of indolence, service insensitivity.

5. The growth of undesirable racial softness, biologic deterioration.

6. The threat of standardized industrial slavery, personality stagnation. Labor is ennobling but drudgery is benumbing.

Militarism is autocratic and cruel--savage. It promotes social organization among the conquerors but disintegrates the vanquished. Industrialism is more civilized and should be so carried on as to promote initiative and to encourage individualism. Society should in every way possible foster originality.

Do not make the mistake of glorifying war; rather discern what it has done for society so that you may the more accurately visualize what its substitutes must provide in order to continue the advancement of civilization. And if such adequate substitutes are not provided, then you may be sure that war will long continue.

Man will never accept peace as a normal mode of living until he has been thoroughly and repeatedly convinced that peace is best for his material welfare, and until society has wisely provided peaceful substitutes for the gratification of that inherent tendency periodically to let loose a collective drive designed to liberate those ever-accumulating emotions and energies belonging to the self-preservation reactions of the human species.

But even in passing, war should be honored as the school of experience which compelled a race of arrogant individualists to submit themselves to highly concentrated authority--a chief executive. Old-fashioned war did select the innately great men for leadership, but modern war no longer does this. To discover leaders society must now turn to the conquests of peace: industry, science, and social achievement."

urantia book. www.urantia.org
wiki it to see a summary

God bless all of those who have put their lives on the line for the rest of us.
xo

Why war? Because some among us want to rule over others. Some will always seek power. Because (hu)man is cruel, kind, respectful, loving, nurturing, spiteful, jealous, envious, devious, complacent, trusting, compassionate, determined, indecisive, grateful, rude, polite, combative, peaceful, helpful, inconsiderate..... The list goes on and on. Since we will always be these things things, and we always have been these things, there always be war. Just because war is not in your heart, it does not mean it is not in another heart. To ignore this, is the folly of man. This is the lesson of history. You can only change change yourself.

We're here to talk about pictures....not war.

Are there any memorials and memorial celebrations by the enemies? How do North Korean mothers remember their sons? How do Taliban fathers and brothers? The human tragedy of death and suffering is universal independent for what you fight for ...

We live in freedom because of them.

I salute them all!

War because USA and West fed by war. Bush and Obama they are just puppets of the system that capitalism built on. Open your eyes Americans!

How wonderful it must be to actually believe all it takes to prevent a war is for one of the sides to refuse to fight. Our latest war is to keep radical Muslims from taking over and killing everyone who is an Infidel. An Infidel is ANYONE who does not follow the tenets of Islam.

We KNOW these people cannot be reasoned with because they have said publically "all infidels must die". They want no peace, they want all who are not practicing Muslims to die.. Reasoning with them is, to them, a sign of weakness and will cause them to show even more aggression.

I feel sorry for you idealists who think that merely WANTING something will make it happen. NOBODY wants war but the sad fact is that in the face of aggression you either fight or die. Had we not fought in WW2 we would all be speaking German and Japanese today. I guess many here would not even care if that were the case. Despite what you have been brainwashed to believe, America has never started a war without provocation and has never done so to expand its territory, nor have we EVER occupied a defeated country longer then it took to get them back up and running and stabilized.

My guess is all the idealists on this site who believe only evil men fight wars are 35 years old and and and have no knowledge of REAL world history.

Have you learned NOTHING from histy don't ypou

Its interesting to see the stark contrast between the methods of the US remembrance and its patriotic act of flag waving, #3, #6, #9, #12, #15, #18, #34 with that of the more somber less colorful approach of the commonwealth nations clearly demonstrated in #21.

I lost count of the number of stars and stripes in this collection. Only two humble maple leafs, not one flag of Australia, New Zealand, no Union jack or flags of any other nation. It looks more like a 4th of July parade than an act of remembrance.

amazing photo's
r.i.p
x

triest en we doen niets!!!

#34 - During the annual Veterans Day Parade in Boston, Steve James from Boston holds an American flag along Tremont Street as he salutes a group of veterans marching. "I'm here to celebrate the Armed Forces. It's still the greatest nation on earth" he said.

-Thats okay then as long as the USA is still the greatest nation those poor souls did not die in vain. Its sad that people are educated so poorly. It should be a day to remember those who paid the price of freedom and NOT a celebration of military might.

The Remember is in Belgium and France the end of WW I and some for the second WW II.
All the other wars I believe 62 are started afther the end of te second.
Whe will remenber all those who fight for freedom around the world.
Every evening 8.pm the last post is held on Menen Memorial.
Please when you have time visit FLANDERSFIELD and the deadrow thanks

Many ask, why war. Just study history. Every war was started by some nation`s leader or the the leader and his worshipers, be they military or citizens. It is is well that we remember that at any given time there are individuals and groups who are brainwashing the citizens of their nation as well as people in other nations to garner a following.The reason has always been to gain control of other nations, their people and their wealth. There will always be idividuals, nations, relig
gious groups or organizations that believe that God, or the Gods have chosen them to rule the whole world or at least a large portion of the world.Paul Divine and the people.

It's also very sad that a video game (Modern Warfare 2) made $310 million in North America and the UK in its first 24 hours. These types of war games are traditionally release on the week of Veteran's Day.

Sad...., there are no winner in every war........

That last one put a lump in my throat. Very powerful image.

war love youngmen... Sorry...

Têm que se fuder mesmo... da mesma forma como estão mortos, é bem certo que existem outros túmulos em outros lugares com os restos mortais das pessoas que eles mataram...

Violence is not the way to solve problems.

Look at the number of crosses in picture #36, this is only a minute representation of those who were killed in war.

Theres no mention of the thousands of soldiers from South Asia, especially India, who laid down their lives in the two world wars for the allied powers! Same goes for the Russians who suffered the worst.
Your photoblog is doing great disservice to those unfortunate souls and their families by omitting any mention.

"For Those Who Fought For Freedom, Freedom Has A Flavor The Protected Will Never Know"

Author is unknown

Except for ending Slavery, Fascism, Nazism & Communism, War has never solved anything.

American by Birth
Marine by Choice

I absolutely HATE war... NOTHING is worth wasting these lives for.

Just to clarify, comment #19, I dont think that ANYONE thinks that war is a "neat" idea.

comment on why war ?
I read in a book - Having enemy is friendly idea for a nation to bring together - if you don't have one create one - its all about politics - good and bad is just relative terms and this vanishes when you look from the eyes of politics -

My hats off for those who lost their life thinking that this would bring peace to the world

Great pictures. Brought a tear to my eyes. My grandfather fought in WWII, D-Day, Market Garden, and several other operations. He was a flight engineer in a C-47 dropping the 101st Airborne. He passed away this summer and I miss him so much. It was a sad veterans day this year.

The pictures were tear jerking, every one.

I had no idea "Veteran's Day" had such a history. I had always assumed it was a government version of a Hallmark Holiday, albeit one that is richly deserved and painfully earned.

The true tear jerking came then, as I realized how little we all know.

we must never forget

They shall not grow old as we who are left grow old. Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning, We will remember them...

For everyone who faught a war for our freedom.
Thank you

Patrick Detaeye ( Belgium )

To the person that commented about what a poor life the guy is going to have with only one limb:

http://www.lifewithoutlimbs.org/

Comment 91; "It's also very sad that a video game (Modern Warfare 2) made $310 million in North America and the UK in its first 24 hours. These types of war games are traditionally release on the week of Veteran's Day."

A generation playing games of virtual war is no where near as sad as the generations lost playing the real thing.

Bent double, like old beggars under sacks,
Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge,
Till on the haunting flares we turned our backs
And towards our distant rest began to trudge.
Men marched asleep. Many had lost their boots
But limped on, blood-shod. All went lame; all blind;
Drunk with fatigue; deaf even to the hoots
Of tired, outstripped Five-Nines that dropped behind.

Gas! Gas! Quick, boys!–An ecstasy of fumbling,
Fitting the clumsy helmets just in time;
But someone still was yelling out and stumbling
And flound'ring like a man in fire or lime...
Dim, through the misty panes and thick green light,
As under a green sea, I saw him drowning.

In all my dreams, before my helpless sight,
He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning.

If in some smothering dreams you too could pace
Behind the wagon that we flung him in,
And watch the white eyes writhing in his face,
His hanging face, like a devil's sick of sin;
If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood
Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs,
Obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud
Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues,–
My friend, you would not tell with such high zest
To children ardent for some desperate glory,
The old Lie: Dulce et decorum est
Pro patria mori.

- "Dulce et Decorum Est", by Lt. Wilfred Owen, 1917

I'm glad that this photo set (photos like #34 excepted) captures the true meaning of Nov. 11, which is a day of *remembrance*, not a day of glorification. We remember that day not to raise up and thank those who are fighting, but to hang our heads in somber regret that so many have died and continue to die.

Here's hoping that one day we figure out how to banish war from all our lives forever.

#37 heartbreaking..

heart breaking!

How powerful the ego of the man, which make or break himself.

Why can't people just look and not make comments.

Very moving pictures!! These brave men and women fought for our
freedom and country. We should always honor them forever.
I absolutely support our army to this day with the problems
we have now in this uncertain times.

People are answering the WHY of war with freedom as the answer. The US is trying to free other countries! Not the US itself! So dont justify war with freedom because the US has been free always, and finds reasons to 'free' other countries (aka oil) from their problems. Use that money for something else!

US doesn't have to lose its soldiers life to other countries freedom.

Now the fight against terrorist is another thing, because it impacted the US directly.

God Bless ALL the men and women of the Armed Forces who fight and fought for Freedom, Liberty, The Pursuit of Happiness according to the guidlines of the Living God, Our Lord Jesus Christ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I marched in London to remember those that gave their lives for us !
Many thanks always.

This photo essay on Veterans Day was very moving. However, it establishes too beautifully the fact that as citizens we have still failed to put an end to war. Rather we seem to accept it or celebrate it. I have just returned from an international flight that stopped in Atlanta Georgia, where most of the people in the airport waiting area were young soldiers in uniform --women and men-- on their way to Afghanistan. I felt sick and helpless. This costly war seems especially wasteful and doomed to fail. How can we who grieve the dead of so many past wars not now absolutely refuse to give our support--both moral and financial--to this one?

The ABSOLUTE FUTILITY of war.
Tis but a waste of our Youth.
Old Men kill, just because they WANT more,
LEARN from all this.
The entire TWENTIETH century was devoted to WARS.
The entire WORLD FAMILY mourns.

For WHAT ??

That our sons and daughters have been murdered by GREED and LUST FOR POWER.

It's so sad! The ones that profit from war (always the same families that have been in power forever) are never the ones to fight them. Wake up America before its too late!

The eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month marks the signing of the Armistice, on 11th November 1918, to signal the end of World War One. At 11 am on 11 November 1918 the guns of the Western Front fell silent after more than four years continuous warfare and many millions dead.

Remembrance (Armisitice) Day is on 11 November. It is a day set aside to remember all those killed during the two World Wars and many other conflicts since.

Remembrance Sunday is held on the second Sunday in November, which is usually the Sunday nearest to 11 November. Special services are held at war memorials and churches all over Britain and many other countries around the world.

It is not a celebration of power, but rather a day of reflection. It is not a celebration of what makes a country 'great' but rather a day in which we should remember those who have given their lives in these conflicts.

Many of the comments above prove that in time we lose the meaning of such things, please don't!

WHY WAR? BECAUSE 2 GUYS CANT FIX THEIR PROBLEMS LIKE MEN THAT'S WHY THEY SEND INNOCENTS TO KILL THEMSELVES FOR THEM WHO CANT EVEN GO AND FIGHT FOR THEIR COUNTRY I JUST HATE WAR AND SEEING THAT PICTURE OF THE 18 YR OLD KID JUST GETS ME SAD PLEASE HE IS BARELY STARTING HIS LIFE AND NOW ITS RUINED THAT IS JUST SO SAD :(

"Why War?"

Because there are wrong people doing wrong job with wrong motives to control people and gain more power.

Just look at everyone behind Iraq. And Obama is no exception.

A moving tribute to those who gave all.

To those who fought bravely to give peace and freedom to my country and other places far from their home, thank you. I will always remember, and may God bless you always and give you peace.

Why War?
because it benefits a certain group of powerful people in the world

#37 is heartbreaking.

#9 makes me sick. Kids should be left out of the whole war/patriotism business until they are old enough to decide for themselves. I can't help but thinking that these happy children will be the 18-year-old war victims of tomorrow.